Solar Flair

This whimsical whirlybird comes from the German company Inpro Solar, and is sure to delight any budding young aviator. The solar panel on the rotor generates enough energy to turn the blade, and while the odds of this chunky chopper actually taking off are slim, it could very well twirl its way into the heart of your little flyboy or girl.

Long before smoke-spouting power plants were relegated to the remote outskirts of the industrial city, large-scale energy generators were common sights in urban landscapes.

This week's round-up is a varied mix, from radio shows and stylized manhole covers to photo essays and solar-powered bike parking stations.

If you ask Thomas Robertson, the difference between actively green houses and his passively sustainable Courtyard House is the difference between “a solar-powered yacht and a sailboat.